“This is way more nerve-racking than walking out, even on a bad day, at the White House,” said Gibbs. “You want to do well for your charity.”

The tournament donated a total of $350,000 to charities chosen by the contestants. Game winners got a minimum of $50,000 while the other contestants got consolation prizes of $10,000.

Organizations included everything from the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Trevor Project to players’ personal charities, like Abdul-Jabbar’s Skyhook Foundation.

“Our purpose is to inspire young people to realize the power of knowledge,” said Abdul-Jabbar. The foundation identifies role models who can help students make choices that lead to personal and academic success.

CNN’s Lizzie O’Leary played for 826DC, a local non-profit that works with kids to develop their creative and expository writing skills.

“To me it was important to play for a charity that’s in my neighborhood, that’s helping the city I grew up in,” she said. “I am here to represent D.C.”

This is the third Power Players Week in Jeopardy! history. The episodes air May 14 to 18.